Original Upload 13/9/2018
Revised 26/10/2022
Cross-Posted 19/08/2023 {AO3}
Revision Notes - Major revisions to first section, minor revisions and rewrites to second section, small additions and changes made throughout, moved review responses to bottom of page.
Ike_/ Good day to you, people of the internet.
Fred_/ This is a special story because it is not new.
Ike_/ Yes indeed. This story, although the base concept was originally my idea, was adopted from another author on this site. I made a request and he wrote the story. And I figured, I got time to kill, I'm decent-ish at writing now, I should totally adopt the story. Was it a bad idea? Probably.
Fred_/ You may be wondering why we have so many ongoing stories at once. As it happens, we both have our focus on our IRL jobs right now, and we write what we want when we want. But alas, you did not come to hear us talk. Or read us talk. Or whatever.
LV2_/ Howdy. I'm the original author, TheLongVersion2, and it's disclaimer time. My version of the story will still continue if I ever find myself a beta. But I realize it isn't entirely fair to everyone else that I promised more, and you may never get it. So I'm letting these guys go for it. They do not own RWBY, nor do they own Minecraft or any other element that they may introduce to the story. The plotline and characters are the results of our own creativity. And this story has been long overdue for a re-write.
Ike_/ Thank you, Ryan. Now shall we get started?
'thought'
"speech"
*sound/action*
Prologue: Brothers In Arms
"Once upon a time, there was a boy. A boy just like you. And this boy's name was John-"
"THAT'S MY NAME!" A child cried out suddenly, rising excitably from the blankets that covered his petite form. His unkempt hazel hair fell over his face as he did, and his mother brushed it away from his wide brown eyes with a smile.
"Why are you so surprised? Mom reads you this story every night." An older boy said from his bed on the other side of the room. He sat on the edge, his matching brown eyes looking at his younger brother in amusement, as he worked at removing a tie from his long black hair.
"It's my most favorite story, Shay! I wanna grow up to be a knight, just like the boy in the story!" John cried with determination.
"Get in line, John. After I finish my training, mayhaps I could show you a few tricks," Shay said as he climbed under his woolen sheets. John opened his mouth to make a retort, but his mother spoke first.
"Calm down boys, I'm sure you'll both be strong knights someday," The mother said, her honeyed voice instantly grabbing John's attention back. "Now, would you like to hear the rest of the story?"
"Keep going, keep going!" John pleaded. The mother smiled, brushed a golden lock away from her face, and continued with her story. She told of great adventures, of white knights and dark casters. Of dragons and terrible monsters. But in the end, the boy who grew to be a knight always won. Until the end of the story. John never knew what happened in the end, because he could never stay awake that long. But everyone always assured him that it was a happy ending. Throughout the years, their mother would entrance both boys with stories of distant lands, terrible monsters and epic quests. At night the adventures continued in John's dreams. Little did he know that these same dreams would be his nightmares someday.
10 YEARS LATER
"Sink or swim, John! I shan't go easy this day," Shay cried, lunging at John with sword and shield.
The sound of stone clashing against stone echoed around the farmyard as John parried the sword, and dust was kicked from the ground as John narrowly dodged the shield strike. John brought his dulled stone sword about for a riposte, swishing through the air only to make dull clang when it met Shay's shield. A flurry of strikes followed, forcing John to back away as he defended against Shay's onslaught of powerful slashes. Moving quickly, John almost lost his footing as he stumbled over splinters of wood scattered on the ground. Shay took advantage of the stumble and bashed John with his shield, knocking him fully over. John rolled back to his feet quickly, refusing to allow Shay to pin him.
"Be mindful of your step, brother. Did you forget I relieved you of your shield?" Shay teased, stopping for a moment to catch his breath.
"Nay, I thought it best to give you a small break from the fighting. You're becoming slow in your age, brother!" John taunted, wiping his brow where dirt had clung to the sweat.
"If I were so old John, You'd have defeated me by now. I am only 5 years older than you." Shay spoke, a smile once again making its way onto his face. John's 16'th birthday was coming very soon, and Shay's 20'th had just passed. Shay hated to admit it, but John was faster than him and already just as strong as him. The only reason John hadn't beat him yet, was because Shay had more training and experience.
"Besides, I am not the one pouring sweat like a raincloud!" Shay prodded further. Neither brother wore their shirts; only boots and trousers, since their tops would often be torn and ruined during training. Despite Shay's claims, however, equal amounts of sweat glistened on both of their toned forms as their muscles worked. Suddenly, John darted forward and thrust his sword at Shay. Shay defended with his shield, but John had expected this and put more power than usual into his attack. The stone practice sword, while dulled along the edges, still had enough of a point to pierce given enough force. And pierce it did, halfway to the hilt into the wooden section of Shay's shield. John used both hands to wrench it to the side, knocking away Shay's retaliatory strike, and gave Shay a hard kick in the diaphragm. Shay managed to keep his footing, but was forced to let go of his shield to stay up. Shay chuckled bittersweetly. That was the same trick he had used to disarm John, and he should have seen it coming.
"So, do you admit defeat?" John spoke, grinning as he used his boot to pry his sword from the ruined shield.
"The day you surpass me John, is the day that I lay down and die." And with that, Shay leapt at John once more. John dodged, parried, parried again, then ducked under a swipe meant for his neck. Shay was becoming desperate now. The two traded several more ferocious strikes, before Shay used a new trick his Pagemaster had shown him. With a twisting and yanking motion in the wrist, Shay changed the momentum of his attack mid swing. The odd angle almost nicked John in the shoulder, but luckily a lack of practice with the technique had put Shay off-balance and he missed. John, unaware of how lucky he was, jerked forward and struck Shay in the solar plexus with the pommel of his sword. Shay fell to one knee gasping for air and found John's sword at his neck within the next second.
"Do you yield?" John asked, barely holding in his excitement. Shay nodded, and when John offered a hand, he took it. But no sooner had John pulled him up, Shay had swept his leg and pinned him to the ground with his arm behind his back.
"I never said we were finished," Shay said with a grin.
"You nodded! You yielded to me, you dirty cheater!" John cried, struggling in vain to escape Shay's hold.
"That could have been anything, dear brother. You've no proof that I yielded."
"BOYS! DINNER IS PREPARED, COME INSIDE!" John and Shay instantly untangled themselves from each other at the sound of their mother.
"To be continued, I suppose," Shay said, as they gathered their practice swords and began walking back to the house.
"Of course. But I totally beat you, and we both know it!" John said, smiling.
"I admit you have made staggering progress in the art of the blade, but you have yet to win a game of chess," Shay spoke suggestively, hoping to claim at least a single legitimate victory.
"Is that a challenge?" John asked slyly, beaming at the thought of beating his older brother twice in one day.
"BOYS! GET IN HERE BEFORE I- "
"COMING MOTHER!" Both boys exclaimed at once, sprinting towards the house.
"You're moving your creepers already?" Shay asked, raising an eyebrow as John moved an important chess piece across the board.
"Some call it strategy. You should try it sometime," John said, leaning back in his chair and waiting to see what his brother would do.
The two sat at a chess table under a large thatch roof, supported by oak logs at each corner, right in the center of the town square. Several other tables around them were also occupied, overseeing intense battles of their own. Chess was a common past time for many retired knights in the village, so public chess tables had been made several years ago. After the local Pagemaster had taught Shay, Shay taught John and it became a fast favorite of the two.
"Confident, aren't we? Makes sense I suppose, your ego has always been inflated by a full stomach," Shay retorted idly.
John chuckled at the insult. Dinner had been as pleasant as always, although Shay had seemed a little bit distant. He had been that way often since their father had passed away. Shay had always been close to his father, more so than John, and although Shay's Pagemaster was an important role model for Shay, he could never fill the gap that their father had left. Shay sat in thought for a moment, before moving his queen across the board.
"Dear brother, are you trying to lose?" John asked, taking Shay's queen with one of his knights.
"And what makes you think I'm doing that?" Shay asked with a smirk, sacrificing a creeper to take John's bishop. John's smile faded. Shay now had him in check from three different positions.
"How...when did you-" John asked in confusion.
"Some call it strategy. You should try it sometime," Shay said with a grin. There was nothing John could do to escape. Victory had been claimed. The two brothers reset the board, then got up and made their way down the stre
"Someday, Shay. The title of Superior Brother will be mine" John said.
"In your dreams, brother," Shay responded.
The two brothers now walked along a street in the middle of town, which had been the home of a busy marketplace for some time. The streets bustled with people around them, merchants calling out to passing people, and people stopping to browse in turn. The stone brick pathways were mossed over at the edges and in the small alleyways. At the end of the street was the town outskirt, the ten-foot stone wall that circled the village was easy to make out. But just in front of it, a large black ring stood, plastered to the ground by a marble platform. The ring was unnaturally smooth, except for strange symbols carved in along the outside edge, and it was cool to the touch even on the hottest of days. Kids could often be seen playing around it, and some were even brave enough to climb to the top, despite the scolding of their mothers. John recalled that an older man had once told him that it was made out of obsidian.
"You remember when we used to play on the ring?" John asked.
"Yeah, I do. Mom nearly had a heart attack when she caught us once." Shay spoke fondly, recalling the memories John spoke of. "She always told us that it was dangerous. But we only ever saw the fun part of it."
Shay stopped at the end of the road and stared at the ring, lost in his thoughts. John stopped beside Shay and stared with him. It was a nice day, and although the sun beat down upon them, a cool breeze kept them at a comfortable temperature. Just past the ring was the plains which surrounded most of the village. Just past it was the dark forest, dark and ominous as ever. Plenty of people had told stories of terrible monsters lurking inside, but no one could prove it. In the plains, the long grass swayed with the wind, which brought the faint scent of flowers to John's nose.
"Having a crisis there, Shay?" John asked, curious as to why Shay would bring something like that up. Their mother had asked them to purchase baking ingredients after their game, but that objective was far from John and Shay's minds now.
"What if being a knight isn't all it's cracked up to be? All we've seen up until now was the glory, the fame and the fun. But knights die every day. Knights fight wars, John." Shay spoke.
"Woah. Didn't expect something philosophical from you, of all people. Shay, there has been peace in Minecraftica for centuries. Where is this all coming from? Did the Pagemaster say something?" John asked, becoming worried about his brother.
"I just... Sir Quell was a bit drunk a fortnight ago, and shared something from his time in active duty. But I guess you're right. Nothing ever happens in this town, anyway." Shay said, brightening up.
"That's right! And don't forget about our training, Shay. We're invincible when we work as a team, so don't you even think about dying!" John said excitedly.
"Speak for yourself. Since I'm the strongest between us, I don't know if you could hold your own out there!" Shay teased.
"Please, now that I've beaten you I bet you could barely fight off a silverfi-"
*THUUM*
Both brothers, and everyone around them, were roughly thrown to the ground by a shockwave that shook the entire village. Stalls and shops were sent tumbling to the ground and cries of shock and pain rang out. The symbols on the ring were glowing now, and suddenly a cloud of purple energy exploded forth, before receding back to the ring and creating a clear glowing puddle. For several moments, people sat frozen on the ground staring at the phenomenon. And then something came out. And then something else. Shay reacted immediately, running towards the nearby blacksmith to look for a weapon. John took a moment longer to process what was happening. Seven-foot skeletons with charred bones and jagged stone weapons were pouring out from the ring, attacking anything that moved. Stalls were knocked over as people scrambled to get away, and doors slammed shut as others sought out shelter in their homes. The creatures gave chase, eager to cut down anyone that they could reach. John could already see people splayed out on the street, unmoving. The skeletons didn't take long to spot John, and their approach snapped him out of his stupor. John grabbed the chair from a fallen stand and smashed it over the head of an approaching skeleton. The skeleton splintered and fell apart in a similar fashion to the chair, but another skeleton replaced it and wasted no time in swiping its sword at John's neck. John ducked under the swipe and punched the skeleton in the jaw, ignoring the stinging pain of his skin splitting. The skull whipped around with the force of the punch and its jaw came flying off, scattering rotted teeth around the street. Another punch in the chest knocked the skeleton off-balance, allowing John to grapple its arm, and wrench the sword from its grasp. A second later, John had cut its legs out from underneath it. A creaking noise behind John alerted him to the approach of another enemy, and he spun on his heel, using the momentum to make a powerful slash. The sword shattered the arm of a skeleton that had been reaching for him, but it did not deflect the sword that was swinging towards him. John jerked back, but not fast enough to completely avoid the attack. John held in a scream as he felt the sword carve through his shoulder, and across his chest to the other shoulder just under his collarbone. For a moment, black spots swam in John's vision and he had to fight the urge to pass out.
'Crap, I underestimated the length of that sword!' John thought. This wasn't a shortsword like he'd seen the other skeletons using. This was a great sword, a two-handed blade meant for powerful attacks that could cleave someone in half with a single blow. And this creature had used it with a single hand. John had gotten lucky.
Through the spots in his vision, John saw the skeleton begin swinging the sword in an overhead arc, clearly meaning to split him down the middle. But with only a single hand, despite the incredible strength this skeleton boasted, it was a clumsy attack. John weaved to the left, parrying the greatsword as he went, throwing the skeleton off balance. Instead of killing John, the attack missed and decimated John's previous opponent with a sickening crunch. John took immediate advantage of this opening to swing his sword diagonally, cutting the skeleton in half just below the ribcage. The two halves fell to the ground, eliciting a rattling noise followed by the sound of the stone greatsword clattering to the ground beside it. John turned back towards the gate, and the sight of three more skeletons approaching greeted him. John dropped down into a defensive stance and steeled himself. Although his vision was back to normal, and the adrenaline blocked out most of the pain, John could feel himself wearing out already. This was nothing like a sparring match with Shay, this was real. John took a few steps back, allowing himself a moment longer to observe his enemies. The skeletons were certainly more imposing up close, and John could see that there seemed to be some sort of shadowy liquid holding each bone together at the joint. The bones themselves, although charred by fire, were rotted like a tooth riddled with cavities. This made the bones jagged and edged, rather than a regular smooth and curved bone. The skeletons on the left and right had hand axes, while the one in the center had a spear and a shield.
The two skeletons on the outside began to flank John, while the center one moved up slowly. The one on the right dashed forward, swinging wildly at his head, while the spearman thrust his weapon to gore John. John wove evasively, the spear only grazing his size, and parried the axe. The second axe wielding skeleton came from behind John, only to clatter to the ground as an arrow lodged itself in its skull. The first axe wielding skeleton attacked again, and John ducked under the strike. Using the momentum of the attack against the skeleton, he flipped it onto its back and plunged his sword through one of its eyes before it could react. But when John looked back, the skeleton with the spear was upon him with a lethal blow already in motion. Before either John or the skeleton could react though, Shay crashed into the shield and sent both combatants stumbling back, just far enough that the spear didn't reach John. Shay grappled with the shield arm, and John used the opening to run over and chop his sword into the undead warrior's skull. Shay nocked another arrow as the bones and weapons scattered themselves on the street, and gave John a look.
"Rookie mistake, John! You aren't just fighting one opponent anymore, and as such you must be careful to never let any of your opponents out of your sight!" Shay shouted across the street, as he put an arrow in the eye socket of a skeleton that was charging towards him.
Shay himself had several cuts and bruises, but John had no time to dwell on that. Both himself and Shay were still alive, and they needed to keep it that way. More importantly, they had to buy time for people to escape and for the town guards to arrive. Another skeleton with shield and spear charged the brothers, an arrow from Shay sinking harmlessly into the shield. The spear hurtled towards John as soon as it was in range, but he managed to knock it away with his sword, then get in close and launch an attack of his own at the skeleton. John's strike bounced off the shield, and he had to jump back when the skeleton tried to bash him with its shield. John parried another lunge from the spear, then jumped again as the skeleton tried to sweep his feet. The skeleton spun the spear around and lunged again, but John was ready this time and grabbed the spear by the shaft, and ripped it from the hands of his opponent. Without a weapon the skeleton charged John, taking him off guard and knocking him onto his back. The skeleton raised its shield to smash his head and John kicked out with his legs, knocking away one of the skeletons legs. The shield overshot John as the undead fell forward into John's waiting sword, and an arrow from Shay finished the jobs a moment later.
Shay helped John back to his feet, and they spun back around in time to see ten more skeletons come through the ring, creating a protective wall with their shields, spears sticking out from between the gaps. Behind them, something else appeared through the ring. A skeleton with dull silver armour came riding through on the skeleton of a horse. In his right hand, he carried a giant golden battle-axe and unlike the other skeletons, he had a glowing red light in each eye socket which seemed to scan the area before landing on John and Shay. This was no small fry.
"SHAY, THESE PEOPLE HAD THE RIGHT IDEA! WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" John shouted over the noise of battle. Another one of Shay's arrows met its mark between the eyes of a skeleton before he turned and shouted back.
"AGREED! WE NEED TO GET MOTHER AWAY FROM HERE!" Shay called out. The two brothers turned and ran towards their own home, which was just outside town. But the other side of town was far away. Halfway there, John began to feel lightheaded. Then he started to feel dizzy. And suddenly John was facedown in the street, and his ears were ringing. It occurred to John that it was awfully wet and cold for such a sunny day. John felt himself being picked up, and his arm being draped over something. Shay's shoulder, he realized. John looked down and noticed his shirt was soaked with blood.
'That's a lot of blood. Is that my blood?' John thought, having a hard time focusing.
"Come on John, stay with me. Just one more block and then we're at the gate." Shay spoke urgently. The skeletons were nearly upon them, but Shay continued as fast as he could with John on his shoulder.
A skeleton managed to catch up, swinging its greatsword down at them while still running. Shay shoved John out of the way and sidestepped the blow. The blade buried itself in the earth, but despite that, the skeleton immediately swung it in an upward arc, nearly taking Shay's arm off. Before it could make another move, Shay pulled an arrow from a quiver on his hip and planted it firmly in the skeleton's knee. With the skeleton demobilized, Shay managed to rip the greatsword from its grasp, and with a mighty swing, he decapitated the skeleton. Then the other skeletons were upon him, and John's vision went black.
John slowly came to, his senses fading in and out. He focused on the slur of words, but could barely make anything out.
"...oo risky...ould die if..."
"do i...he'll...anywa..."
"...I can...aking up..."
The pain was certainly clear, now. Had he hurt himself?
"...ohn! John, can you hear me?" Shay asked.
"ugh... Aye, I can. I think I'd rather be asleep though." John said, raising an arm to hold his head.
"Take it easy, John. You lost a lot of blood." Shay told him. John sat up and immediately regretted it, hissing in pain. The memories began piecing back together in John's mind, as he looked around. John quickly figured out he was on a cot inside a medical tent, wrapped in bandages. Several other cots were occupied, and the nurses attended them frequently. Something told John that the wounds under those blankets were much worse than his. Then something else occurred to him.
"Mother-!" John suddenly cried, only to be interrupted by Shay.
"Is alright. As are most of the townspeople, thanks to the militia and the town guard. They arrived just in time for us, but they weren't able to save everyone. Those that were saved are on the east side of camp." Shay said, trying to look strong for his brother.
"I see... and the town?" John asked. Shay's expression became grimmer.
"Under the control of those undead fiends. I tried asking the militia leader if they plan on taking the village back, but he wouldn't answer me." Shay spoke. John swung his legs over the side of the cot. To John's surprise, despite the cry of pain from his muscles, there was only a scar on his chest, rather than the grisly wound he remembered. When John looked to Shay in confusion, Shay explained.
"You were the first to come in wounded. They used medicinal potions and proper medical supplies. By the time these people came in," Shay spoke, motioning to the others in the tent, "They had run out of potions."
John nodded and stood. Before Shay could say anything, John had walked out of the tent, and after a quick scan of the camp, made a quick beeline for what he assumed to be the command tent. Or at least he tried, only for Shay to roughly grab his arm and pull him back.
"Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?" Shay growled. John, taken aback by Shay's tone, didn't answer right away.
"...Um, the command tent? I want to see how I can help!" John said. Shay sighed.
"John, I know you wish to curry favor with a Knight or a Pagemaster, but this is real combat. Against unfeeling monsters! We best leave the fighting to the real warriors," Shay tried to reason. John tugged his arm away from Shay's grasp and shook his head.
"Nay, I won't stand idly by. Not while our homes and livelihood are destroyed. Not while our friends and family die from wounds they never should have suffered, wounds that could have been cured by the potions used on me! I cannot stand by. We cannot stand by!" John cried in defiance. Shay gave his younger brother a hard look.
"We will die, John. I am barely a Page, and you have no formal training. Let us return to the medical tent, help where we can in safety!" Shay pleaded. John scowled.
"I thought better of you brother. Is not a Knight's pledge to defend those who cannot defend themselves? Is not a Page sworn to the same cause as his master? Is this not what we have trained for from youth?" John argued. Shay returned the scowl now.
"My Pagemaster took me under his wing, and now he is dead John. Along with our entire town guard! This is more than we can handle, so sit your arse back in that tent before I drag you to it!" Shay demanded, raising his voice now. John faltered. Sir Quell was well known for his skill and experience. His fall in battle shocked John, as did the loss of the town guard. But John was not so easily shaken from his goal.
"...All the more reason then. We ought to avenge them," John said softly. Shay tensed.
"And what of Mother? What do I tell her if you fall in battle? Suppose both of us die. Would you do that to her?" Shay accused with a shaky voice.
"I pray she would forgive us, if only we can save another mother's sons," John replied.
"Your mind is set then?" Shay asked, apprehensive. John nodded.
"Aye, I will not be swayed," John said with finality. Shay looked to the sky and sighed deeply.
"Blast it all, John," Shay mumbled. "Go then, and I will follow."
A steel gauntlet slammed into the table, knocking an empty goblet over on the regional map.
"Where then, do you propose we go? With the Outrealm fiends on our tail, and these refugees to worry over, we certainly can't make it to the capitol," A man boomed frustratedly through a thick brown moustache, his armour clinking as he moved.
"Peace, Sir Siegfreid. The fire caverns are our only chance. We know that the Outrealm creatures haven't made it that far north yet, and if we can get there before them, we can dig in, fortify, prepare to make a stand." The man at the end of the table said calmly, pointing to a location on the map. Though his voice was calm, his expression was that of frustration. Similar to the mustached man, he wore shining silver plate armour, and a flowing silk cape was draped over his shoulders and reached down to his knees.
"IF we make it! We barely have the resources for ourselves to make such a journey. What of the refugees, Sir Darien?" A man with long blonde hair spoke. He wore studded leather armour and a cloak, and on his back was a quiver.
"We will have to ration the food and water, and camp with no fires. It will be difficult, but we have no other option, Sir Cilyan," Darien Roseus said.
"Respectfully, Knight Commander Roseus, I disagree. This village is one of the biggest grain suppliers in the Eastern plains and has a stockpile of weaponry and armour. With the resources here we could arm the refugees, and feed everyone healthily for months. We could make straight for the capitol, then regroup with the Royal Regiment once the refugees are safe," Seigfreid Wilhelm offered gruffly, tracing a possible route over the map with a gauntleted finger.
"We cannot expect to outpace our pursuers. I agree that we must take the town, but we must fortify here and make our stand," Cilyan Windstrider argued.
"I understand you, Knight General Wilhelm, however the circumstances prevent it. We cannot leave the camp unguarded while we assault the town, and furthermore, the walls mean a lengthy siege. We could be here for weeks, long enough to run out of supplies and be ambushed by our pursuers. Also, as Ranger General Windstrider happily points out at every strategy meeting, our enemies are unfeeling, untiring. They will outlast us in any lengthy battle, any chase, any siege. Our best chance for survival is to fight them on our own terms, and worry about resources and the capitol afterwards. This means an easily defensible position that is nearby, and I believe the Fire Caverns are our best bet," Darien countered. Siegfreid grunted, showing his reluctant agreeance, And Cilyan hummed thoughtfully. Just then, the Squiremaster barged into the tent and took a kneel.
"Rise, Sir Jacque. What news do you bring?" Darien said. The knight stood and spoke.
"Knight Commander, sir Rose, our scouts have returned. They report that the pursuing outrealmers will be upon us within a fortnight," The Squiremaster reported. The Commander and Generals shared a look before Darien spoke again.
"I understand. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed," Darien said with a wave of his hand.
"Actually Sirs, there is more. A pair of Pages that trained under the local Pagemaster, Sir Quell, have requested to join the Order. They understand that an Order typically does not recruit any lower than fully fledged knights, talented Squires at the very least, but have requested an exception due to the dire circumstances and the untimely death of their master," Jacque Oakling added. He was greeted by raised brows.
"Is that so? You have seen these supposed Pages; What is your recommendation Squiremaster?" Darien asked.
"They look decent, for peasants. I served with Sir Quell in the civil war, he was a finer Knight than I. If he thought these boys have the makings of Knighthood, I can only agree," Jacque said honestly. Darien nodded.
"That will remain to be seen. Raise them to the rank of Squire and have them equipped. They will prove their mettle or perish this day," Darien ordered. The Squiremaster saluted and left, while Siegfreid's eyebrows almost shot off his face in surprise.
"Are we truly so desperate that we must recruit mere peasant boys?" Siegfreid asked in bewilderment.
"Aye Sir, we are. With only a fortnight before the main Outrealm force reaches us, we have nowhere to run. Our hands are forced; We must take the town,"
"Send boys to die in battle or leave them to die in a night raid. Times are dark; that undead from another realm raze our cities, and we must make the choices we founded The Order Of Rose to prevent," Cilyan said with resignation. Darien ran a hand through his hair.
"At least this way they might accomplish some good, but... By Notch and Jeb, these are dark times indeed," Darien mumbled. "Come now, we must plan the assault."
"Of all the stupid, reckless, pig-headed things to do, you had to do this?" Shay asked rhetorically. Of course, this was his brother John. It could have been much worse.
"Aye, I did. Would they have accepted me if I did not say I was a Page?" John reasoned.
"You're lucky I don't plan on ratting you out, brother. The punishment for impersonation is often shackles," Shay chastised. John shrugged.
"Well I'm not impersonating anymore, am I? Besides, how else are we getting our village back? We can't ploughing do that on our own!" John spoke enthusiastically.
"Sure, sure, but the downside here is that we've been conscripted," Shay shot back.
"I think the terms you're looking for are 'added bonus' and 'hired'." John countered, maintaining his enthusiasm as he strapped a chestplate to his torso.
"No, I said what I meant. And I meant what I said, John. Even if we survive this, our mother is going to kill us when she finds out," Shay said, dreading the verbal, and possibly physical beatings they would receive. Thinking of it, he quickly decided to put on his armour as well.
"Well, look at the silver lining. We're knights! We're in an order and everything!" John spoke excitedly, as he pulled on a pair of plated boots.
"John, we aren't knights. We are cannon fodder. There's a difference." Shay said back, losing his edge.
"Nay, we're actually the bait. But you were close, high marks for your effort Shay." John said. Shay's eyes went so wide John thought they might pop out of his head.
"What?" Shay said simply.
"The Squiremaster said we'll be in the advance party. So we're bait, you know, like a fishing lure. But, for an army. A big army fish," John joked, buckling a scabbard around his waist.
"John, tell me you're joking. Please," Shay said, beginning to panic.
"Nay. Awesome, is it not? We'll lure out the bulk of the enemy force, then the rest of The Order will pull a pincer formation on them from behind," John explained, securing steel grieves around his legs.
"We are going to die, you fool of a Diamond! We can't hold our own against that kind of assault!" Shay almost shouted.
"If we get through this Shay, I will hold your own," John said, grabbing a steel longsword and a tower shield. Shay sighed, and let a small smile grace his lips despite his mood.
"Heh. You just had to make it weird," Shay said.
"Shay, we have fought together. We have slept and bathed together. We have worked the fields and trained together. And we'll sure as hell die together. How could it get any weirder?" John challenged.
"Maybe they'll let us share a casket after we die," Shay theorized.
"...I stand corrected. In any case, we're brothers in arms now," John said, changing the topic.
"Do not jest like that, John. We both know you're likely to be disarmed as soon as the fight starts," Shay teased with a grin. John gave a grin of his own, and then the brothers steeled themselves for battle in silence.
Ike_/ Well, there it is. The prologue.
Fred_/ This could have been worse, I suppose.
Ike_/ Excuse me, sir. It isn't THAT bad.
LV2_/ Nah, the story ain't so bad. You guys just really suck.
Ike_/ ...*Begins sharpening knives*
Fred_/ ...*Prepares collection of dank memes*
Ike_/ Leave a review to let us know what you think. Constructive criticism is appreciated, as are plain old comments and compliments. Now, excuse us while we demonstrate to Ryan how dangerous roasting mentally unstable people can be.
LV2_/ Pls send help...
Review Responses!
Minecraftfan - We're happy you like it! Unfortunately, our mix-matched life schedules make getting chapters out regularly near impossible. But worry not, we won't give up the story!
david - No, Steve has not appeared yet. And neither have any of the RWBY characters. But these people DID make an appearance in this chapter! Technically it was supposed to be last chapter though XD. And it's good to hear that you're enjoying the story :) Thank you for your support!
Gizmo Gear - Good to hear! Ryan tells us that you were a fan of the original. Good to see you here Gizmo, welcome to the party! We hope to do the original story justice, and then some!
David Gumazon1 - Alas, updates likely won't come very quickly, and we apologize for that. But it's good to hear you like it! Thanks for your support :)
aliveyr1 - We certainly hope so!
Quo - Nice meme m8.
